Broken, Beat & Scarred
by Raiden2342
Summary: What happens when Robbie Shapiro moves in with the Vega family? Pretty much all around chaos! RORI. CHAPTER 5 NOW LIVE!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Victorious or the likeness rights to Victoria Justice and the rest of the Victorious cast. But, I do bother Dan Schneider for the rights to the show on a weekly basis, so maybe he'll cave eventually! I can only hope, right?**

**Anywho, before I attempt this, I'd like to give a big thanks to those who have been reading my other story, Finally Falling, and reviewing it on a normal basis.**

**Also, I'd like to thank (for about the thousandth time) MaybeWolf and Jonathan 81 for turning me on to Rori and convincing me to try my hand at an entry into the ship. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred<strong>

**Chapter 1**

**[Tori's POV]**

"So, I guess I'll call you later, right?" My date, Parker asked me. I'd attempted to have a nice date with a boy who seemed like a great guy until he stepped foot in my house. Then it all turned into how fast he could get my pants off and get me in bed with him. I had invited Parker over for dinner and a movie, and before dinner was over he was trying to get his hands under my shirt.

"Yeah, right! Get lost, you creepy little nub!" I said as I slammed the door in his face. I walked over to my couch and sulked down into one of the seats. It was always like this. There was always a guy waiting to use me for something, whether it be for a good grade or a good time. Sometimes I wasn't even enough. On more than one occasion there had either been another girl or I was, unknowingly, mind you, the other girl.

I was beginning to doubt men as a there something wrong with me? Do I just attract the wrong type of men? Do I give off mixed signals? Before I could question my existence any further, I noticed some sort of movement and/or activity in the bush on my patio. Confused, and a little scared, I grabbed one of my dad's golf clubs and walked outside.

"Who are you and why are you hiding in the bush on my patio?" I asked forcefully. There was no response, only more jittery movement. Startled, I began to swing at the bush like I was at the batter's plate in a baseball game.

"Ah! Ow, Tori! Ah Tori stop! It's me, Robbie!" The voice finally yelped from the bush. Realizing it was indeed Robbie Shapiro, I stopped swinging and began yelling.

"Robbie Shapiro, why are you hiding on my patio!" I shouted. Robbie was always doing creepy stuff like this. I can't count how many times I've caught this boy hiding on my patio. It was beginning to upset me, and scare me to an extent.

He stepped up out of the bush and walked towards me, head pointed down at the ground. His moppy hair-do was in the way of his face, blocking me from seeing it. "I- I..." He trailed off. Did I hit him so hard he couldn't form a coherent sentence, or was it the fact that he couldn't come up with a worthy excuse of why he was hiding in my bushes?

Tired of this awkward silence that surrounded us, I grabbed his face and lifted it towards mine, meeting my eyes with his. That's when I saw it, and it absolutely horrified me: His right eye was blacker than the night sky and his lower lip was fatter than my fist. His nose appeared to be broken and there was blood dripping from it. There was dry blood on his shirt and I could see slight bruises on his arms.

"Robbie, oh my..." I trailed off. I initially thought I caused this damage with my dad's driver, but then I noticed some of the blood was dry, and it wouldn't have had time to dry, plus, I only swung three times. "What happened to you?" I asked him.

He looked at me with pure fear in his eye. I don't think I was the subject of the fear, but I could tell something was not right. "It's nothing, Tori, really. M-My dad and I had a s-slight disagreement." He stuttered out.

Even if it was a large disagreement, nobody deserves to be beaten like this. I couldn't even imagine my dad touching me or my sister in any way but a loving, fatherly embrace. Anything else gave me chills that shivered straight up and down my spine.

"Robbie, nobody deserves to be touched like this, especially by a parent," I told him. "Come inside and tell me everything. We may need to take you to a hospital." I said while dragging him in the house. The word hospital must made him jump, because he broke the grip I had on him and began to walk the other way.

"Robbie, where are you going? Come back here!" I yelled as I ran back to stop him from running away. "You need to tell me what happened, why did your dad hit you this way?" I asked him. I'm now just concerned for him. I don't really care that he was in my bushes anymore, I just need to know why someone would do this to Robbie, especially his father.

I grabbed hold of his wrist once more, this time with all of the force my body had. Robbie fell to the ground, screaming in pain. "TORI! Let go of my wrist!" He yelled. It scared me to death. I guess his wrist was either broken or strained.

"Robbie..." I began. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It broke my heart to endless bounds. How could anybody hurt Robbie? He's such a great friend. Robbie would do anything for his friends, for anybody really. It broke my heart seeing him in this condition. "You have to talk to me. Let's get you cleaned up and we'll talk, okay?" I asked him. He obliged my request by nodding.

I helped him off the ground, put his arm around my shoulder and supported him into my house. Once inside, I helped him into the downstairs bathroom. I got him a towel and gave him some of my dad's clothes and instructed him to clean himself up.

"I'm right outside here if you need me, okay Robbie? Don't hesitate to call for help. I'm here for you." I told him. As I turned around to leave the room, Robbie stopped me.

"Tori?" He whispered.

I turned around and smiled at him. "Yeah, Robbie?"

"Thanks for everything. You're such a great friend." He said. It brought a tear to my eye. Here Robbie was, bloody and bruised, and he compliments me? He's always caring about others.

"Not as great as you are." I said with a large smile plastered on my face, and with that, I was outside in the hallway. I had to process what had just happened. I had to figure out what to do. Do I call the police? Do I tell somebody? I just wanted Robbie to know that he was safe.

It took some time, but about half an hour late Robbie comes out into my living room wearing my dad's pajamas. Even though he was cleaned up and there was no blood on him anymore, his eyes were black and the right one was swollen, almost to the point where it was completely shut.

His nose was so large it had to have been broken, his lips were big and I could see cuts on them. There were also numerous bruises on his arms, and I'm sure there were more bruises under his clothes, which I couldn't see.

"Hey, you're out..." I said to him with sympathy and sadness in my voice. I've never really been in this position before. Of course, I'd never hesitate to help out my friends, but I've really never been put in a predicament such as the one that has presented itself before me tonight.

I walked over to him and helped him to my couch. He sat down slowly, as to not put his body through more shock, and relaxed. "Are you hungry, Robbie? I have some leftovers and you're more than welcome to eat them." I offered to the poor broken boy sitting on my couch.

He didn't say anything, he simply nodded and closed his eyes. I was hoping he didn't have a concussion. Those were very rough injuries, and one of the main symptoms was tiring easily. "Robbie don't go to sleep on me, I need you stay with me, okay?" I instructed with firmness yet concern in my voice.

"Don't worry, Tori. I'm fine. I'm not going to sleep." He said with a tinge of reassurance and a ton of pain in his voice. I finally came back with his food, the dinner I'd originally planned to have with that gankbag Parker. Sherwood was full of morons. I gave him the plate that contained lemon roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Robbie began to sit up and then yelped out of pain. Deciding I didn't want my friend to yelp in pain anymore, I decided I was going to give him some pain medicine that was left over from Trina's wisdom tooth operation. "Robbie, are you allergic to any medications?" I asked him, hoping that Vicodin wasn't one of them.

"Just penicillin, that's it." He told me with some confusion in his voice. "Why do you need to know?" He pushed. I wasn't a doctor, but I could tell that he was hurting, and since I didn't want to take him to a hospital without knowing the full story, nor did I want hear to him agony anymore, I decided that Vicodin was the way to go.

"No reason, just hang on a second." I said as I ran upstairs to my bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. Ibuprofen? No, that's not strong enough. Benadryl? No, he doesn't have allergies. Midol? Nope, he's not a women. Aha! Vicodin, and it doesn't expire for another six months. I took one out of the bottle and returned it to it's proper place and exited my bathroom.

Back downstairs, Robbie seemed to be enjoying his chicken and potatoes, considering he was stuffing his face. "Alright, Robbie, we're going to turn your frown upside down, and you won't hurt again tonight." I told him my usual enthusiastic tone.

"How are we going to that?" He asked me very vulnerably. You could not only see him suffering, but you could hear it too, his voice sounding like something darkening and despairing. I don't condone the illegal use of narcotics and other drugs, but I can't stand to see him in pain anymore.

"Take this, Robbie. It'll make you feel better so we can talk about what happened." I instructed, sounding more like a mother hen than a friend. I held the pill out for Robbie to inspect, while he slowly, and reluctantly took the pill from my hand. He put it in his mouth and washed it down with the tea I gave him to drink with his dinner.

Taking my place next to my damaged friend on my red couch, I now needed to know the truth. "Okay, Robbie. What happened to you? Start at the beginning, please." I must've sounded like I was begging him to tell me, and honestly, I probably would've had Robbie hesitated in telling me what was up. Robbie put his fork down and stared at his plate.

"I guess you say it started when I was ten." He told me. "I had a great life. My dad was the greatest guy ever, and my mom was just as perfect. I loved them so much. He's the guy that got me into ventriloquism, and he got me Rex when I was five." He continued, as his voice sounded heavier than I've ever heard it.

"You see, my dad was in the army, and when I was around ten he was deployed to Afghanistan." He said as picked his fork back up and continued to eat, I'm guessing the drugs are beginning to take effect, because his body language is looking more relaxed than it's been since he's been here.

"How did you take it?" I asked him in a truly concerning tone of voice. "You know, how did you cope with not having your dad around?" I see the distance in his facial expressions, his body language. I don't want to press, but I have to in order to get the whole story.

"I took it pretty well. It was hard at first, but I had Rex, so I knew I'd be okay. It's my mom who couldn't cope." He says, with sadness being the distinguishing emotion in the room right now. "She didn't want my dad to join in the first place, but after 9/11, he said it was his duty as an American." He was now just staring at the wall, replaying these horrifying memories over and over again.

"That's really brave of your dad to do, that's a really selfless act." I reply back, trying to do anything to cheer Robbie up, to keep his off of these horrific childhood memories he's undeservingly been apart of.

He doesn't say or do anything for a while, just staring at the walls with the this look of regret in his eyes and holding his fork in one hand. I put my hand on his knee and he jumped out of surprise. I had to reassure him I was here and I wasn't going to hurt him.

"Come on, Robbie, you can tell me anything." I firmed my grip on him knee, letting him know that his friend Tori was here and wasn't going anywhere. "This is behind closed doors, and nobody is going to know except for me. What happened?" I continued to press on.

He nodded at me and continued. "My mom started drinking after my dad left. It was rough, seeing her passed out on the floor or on the couch. Some nights, she wouldn't even come home." He said as he picked up his utensil and started to eat his food again.

As my heart starts to break, everything was starting to come together. Why he acts the way he does. Why he treats Rex more like a brother than a puppet. I notice everything now, all of the hints he's dropped, yet I've failed to notice.

His dad ignores him. His mom screams in her sleep. His mom moves out, yet gives him 'another chance'. Robbie Shapiro was this way because his parents made him this way. Deep down, he was probably this amazing guy, yet everybody took him for granted because they thought they had a reason to, because he acts weird.

"Is that why you and Rex are so close? Is it because he's the only who hasn't abandoned you?" I asked. I must've guessed correctly, because he began to nod. He finally cleared his plate of all food and sat the empty remnants of his dinner on my coffee table.

As I stood up to take the empty plate to the sink, I noticed Robbie was looking more relaxed than he's been since I discovered him about an hour go. I'm guessing now that the score is Vicodin 1, Robbie 0. "Is that medicine helping you at all, Robbie?" I asked as I walked back into the living room and sat down beside him on my couch.

"Yeah, thanks for that. Really Tori. You're beyond amazing." Robbie complimented. I blushed, but I really wanted to get back to the horrible, horrible subject at hand. I needed to know more.

"Thanks, Robbie, really, but can you tell me what happened after that?" I asked him, grabbing his hand and entwining my fingers with his own. It's weird, because holding his hands didn't feel odd. It didn't feel wrong. It felt the exact opposite of that. It kind of felt like our hands were made for each other.

Robbie must've gotten strength from that, because he cleared his throat and continued with his heart breaking story. "Well, my dad came home when I was thirteen, but he wasn't my dad." He continued to stare at our hands that were interlinked with each other. "He was different. He started drinking too, but instead of just passing out, he would hit me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What kind of parents were they, why would they want to hit their child? If my heart wasn't broken before, it's in a million pieces now. "Robbie, I'm so sorry they did that to you. What about your grandmother? Did she not step in and help?" I asked.

Robbie did nothing but drop his head and shake it slowly. "No. She said her son had a hard time over in the Middle East, and we needed to give him his space." He sounded embarrassed and he was trying to avoid eye contact with me.

"It's never been bad though. It's usually a bruised rib here, a sprained wrist here. It wasn't anything I couldn't really handle." He pressed. I had to object here. It was one thing to be abused by a parent, it was another to try and defend said parent.

"Robbie, I don't really care how bad things were. A parent should never hit you, NEVER." I told him, with a course of anger surging through my voice and my veins. Of course, I had gotten a spanking here or there when I was younger, but my parents never, EVER, "hit" me or my sister.

"What happened tonight? Why did you come here?" I asked him, my voice sprinkled with an angry momma bear/concerned mother hen tone.

"Rex was badmouthing him, calling him things like a bad father and an alcoholic, and he pretty much lost it. I probably deserved it though. He just started swinging, kicking, and yelling. He killed Rex. He set him on fire. I ran away before he could set me on fire, though. He threatened to do it, too." Robbie said, tears beginning to fall down his flawed face.

"I came here because I just really needed a place to hide. Your patio is a perfect place for that. I'm so sorry I invaded your privacy though. I didn't even snoop on your date. I just wanted to hide." I not even mad at the fact Robbie was on my porch, I'm mad at his pathetic parents.

"Robbie, you're absolutely fine. I can't stay mad at you. And you don't deserve anything of the sort. Don't even talk like that. What you do deserve are parents who love you for the great person you are. As for the date, you didn't really miss much, he was just another jerk who wanted to get me upstairs, if you know what I mean." I confessed to him, my hand still intertwined with his. "It kind of seems like I'm the gank magnet, you know?"

"Tori, you're NOT a gank magnet, you're amazing. You're my little blood angel. You're beautiful, smart, and you're more talented than I'll ever be. Scratch that, everybody's more talented than I'll ever be." He said with complete and utter dejection in his voice.

"Robert Matthew Shapiro, you are one of the most talented people I know. You're so smart and you're such a great friend. Remember who tutored me for my Theatre Tech exam? That's right, it was YOU. Remember who helped connect my PearPhone GX to those Volvo batteries? You. You're special Robbie, and I'm honored to know you. Quit putting yourself down, because hearing it hurts me too. " I lectured to him.

He smiled and we hugged for for what seemed like an hour, before I finally broke apart. "Okay, Robbie. One's things for sure. You aren't living there anymore. From now on, consider yourself a member of the Vega household." I firmly told him.

"Really? I don't think I'm on your parents' favorite persons list. Are you sure they'll let me stay?" He asked me. It's true that my parents weren't fond of Robbie. He ruined their date night while we were method acting with Sikowitz and he wanted to feel my dad's throbbing nose, but after they find out why he acts the way he does, they won't have a problem.

"They will after we talk to them and tell them you're story. We'll have to tell them too, but Robbie, we also have to get you out of that house. You know that right?" He nodded and looked at me with such a vulnerability you would've thought those eyes belonged to baby.

"Let's get you up to the guest room right now, and we'll talk to my mom and dad on Sunday when they get back from Santa Barbara." I said, finally pulling my hand from his hand so I could get him up the stairs and into the guest bed.

Once inside the guest room, I laid Robbie into the bed, slowly as to not hurt his body anymore than it already has been. I got him everything he might need during the night and I told him goodnight.

"Alright, Robbie. If you need anything at all, my room is next door, and don't you even hesitate to ask me for a favor if you need it." I told him with an all out concerning tone in my voice. I was also going check on him a few times during the night, just to make sure he doesn't have any major internal injuries.

"Tori, you're the greatest, really. I can't believe you'd go through all of this just for me. Thank you, thank you so much." He kept reiterating the thank you part, like he's not worthy of compassion. I guess that's what having horrible parents will do for you. I guess the Vicodin is also in full effect, because he's slurring his speech. It won't be long before the pain medication knocks him out.

"It's no problem Robbie, I'm just glad you're safe. You're gonna be safe from now on, you know that? Tori isn't gonna let anybody hurt you anymore. You go to sleep now, and I'll see you in the morning, okay? I said as I kissed him on the cheek. I cut the lights off and closed the door behind me.

I know what I had to do now, and that was to get Robbie away from those horrible people. It was going to be over my dead body before they got near him again, period.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is, people! The first chapter of Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred. I hope you all like this, because I'm having a blast thinking of ideas for the story. If you have any ideas or anything, PM me! I'm always here.<strong>

**DISCLAIMER #2: I DO NOT condone the unsupervised use of narcotic drugs, but in a situation like this, I would've done the same thing. I DO NOT support the abuse of children, and if anybody out there is suffering from such, just know there's always someone there for you and there's always a way out. Finally, I'm not trying to bash the United States Army or Soldiers who've been deployed. I'm a huge supporter of the troops, however, I do know that things like this can happen when someone is deployed. I'm just trying to make my story as believable as possible. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Victorious or the likeness rights to Victoria Justice and the rest of the Victorious cast. I do, however, bother Dan Schneider for the rights to the show on a weekly basis, so maybe he'll cave eventually! I can only hope, right?**

**Wow! I'm kind of blown away by the good reception chapter one got, it makes me feel amazing when people appreciate my writing. It makes writing a story so much more worth it and the ideas tend to flow more freely when people care about what you're writing. Anywho, here's chapter two! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred<strong>

**Chapter 2**

**[Robbie's POV]**

I'm running.

I'm not really sure why, but I'm sure I shouldn't stop.

It's dark. Much darker than usual, the only light around is one that's far off. It looks like a fire.

And so I continue running, but to where? I'm not sure, but I am compelled to go towards the fire. Why, might you ask? I can't really say, because I don't really know.

This is the only light around for what seems like a matter of miles, so it just seems like the right thing to do. I continue to run, the fire gaining in my vision. It's getting bigger, more violent.

Finally, I can feel the heat emitting from it and arriving on my body, the fire burning at its full mast.

I arrive at the fire and with that, I stop running. I begin to inspect it, asking myself questions like why such a large fire can be burning without alerting anybody. This is Hollywood, isn't it? As I finally find the courage within myself to turn around, all I see is black. Pure Black. No houses, no streetlights, nothing.

As I begin to realize I'm not where I want to be, I hear a scream. It's loud, screeching really. I run to the fire, and I see it. It shouldn't mean so much, but it does. What I see is my friend being taken from me.

"REX!" I shout towards the fire, but nothing is said back. I can only stand in horror as the only thing in my life that hasn't changed is now being ripped away from my grasp. I am alone now. Truly alone. I can feel a sob threaten to escape my throat. It wants to, and it almost does, but I control it.

As hard as it was, I keep myself from crying for my fallen brother. I say my goodbyes and turn around, ready to leave this horrid place, when something stops me. I see a figure in the distance. Needless to say, it all goes to hell.

I begin to run away, to save myself, when I suddenly find myself unable to move at all. I can't move my hands, my toes, my legs. Nothing. The figure moves towards me, the shadow growing in size as I fight to move. The figure behind the shadow begins to emerge and materialize from the all growing darkness.

It takes me moment to process who the figure actually is, but his drunken posture and movements are a dead giveaway. It's _him_. He grows near and I'm left immobilized. I can't move. He's soon standing in front of me, his evil, drunken grin being the distinguishing feature on his face.

I'm unable to do anything as he just stands there, not saying a word. Soon I begin to wonder where exactly I'm at, the heat hitting my backside confirming that I'm standing in front of the fire that took my friend.

I soon realize what's going to happen, and before I can do anything about it, he raises his hands, and shoves me with all of the force in his drunken body. I stumble back, fight to stay up and fall into the fire, just as he had planned. My body hit the flames and the darkness that had once surrounded everything is gone.

And then there is light. The light hits me with a force, and I realize my eyes are closed. I don't want to open my eyes, for fear of what I may see. Will I see him again? Will that frightening darkness return? I gather up all of the courage in my body and force my eyelids open.

At first, things are incomprehensible. As my eyes begin to adjust, I take in my surroundings. I'm in a bedroom. A room with white walls, blue curtains, a silver bedspread. There's a dark haired girl sleeping on the small chair next to the bed I'm in.

I recognize her, and it all comes flooding back. "Tori" I think to myself. I'm in Tori's house. I'm in the guest bedroom. It was just a dream. A horrible dream. I want to stretch my limbs, so I do. BAD IDEA. As I begin to stretch, my body aches with a force I've never felt before.

I want so badly to scream with a passion, but I don't want to wake the dark haired beauty sleeping in the chair next to me, so I control it, and I control it some more. Eventually the pain wears off and I find myself wanting to get up, and needing to find a bathroom.

I use all that I have to get up from the bed without waking Tori. It hurts like hell, but I eventually prevail. It's no secret that I suffer from a lack of grace, so when I emerge from the bed, I try with all of my will power to not fall and disrupt Tori's slumber, and even worse, damage my already damaged body.

As if on cue, my lack of grace makes its appearance. My foot hits the chest at the end of the bed, and I go flying. I pad my fall with my hands, but that doesn't change the fact that my body is again aching, with a new, more terrible force.

At this point, I can't help but wail and scream the first curse words that come into my head. It's always like me to screw up a perfectly good situation. As Tori wakes up, I see her rushing to my side, and I begin cursing my motor skills for waking her up.

"Robbie! Are you okay?" She asked me, with this intensely sounding sympathy coating her words. She bends down and helps drag my broken self off of the ground and sits me on the chest that had a short time ago been my enemy.

"I'm fine." I say to her with a combination of huffing and wincing escaping my mouth. I look to the ground, trying anything and everything to avoid her gaze. "I'm sorry I woke you, Tori. You just looked so peaceful and I thought I could get to the bathroom without making a scene." I state, hoping she wouldn't be upset with me for waking her up.

"I guess I can't even do that, you know?" I say aloud to myself, not really directing it towards her or anybody else. She sits down next to me and grabs my hand. I blush a little, but quickly throw the thought out of my head.

"Hey, you're fine, Robbie. If you needed any help, you could've just asked me. I was in here for a reason." She flatly states. It's then that I realize she was sleeping in here and not in her bedroom. She was that worried about me?

"Yeah, why did you sleep in here again?" I ask her out of lack of, well self-esteem really. I was pretty sure I knew why, but I had to hear it from the source. She stares at our hands which are currently interlocked and smiles.

"Well, you passed out at like 8:30, Robbie, and I found myself checking on you about every hour or so. So I decided to sleep in here so I could make sure you were okay." She says, all the while still looking down at our hands.

She then looks up and looks me straight in the eye, and continues. "I was so worried about you last night, Robbie. I didn't know the extent of you're injuries, I didn't know if something was wrong internally. I didn't want you to 'check out' on me, if you know what I mean." She continues.

"So I did the only thing I could do. I stayed with you." She finishes, keeping the eye contact with me all the while. I can't believe she stayed with me all night. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me.

"Thanks, Tori. It means a lot to have someone care, you know? It's not something I'm used to, that's for sure." I'm trying to act nonchalant, but my voice just can't get the hang of it, as my words fall out of my mouth like a tumbling mess.

"Well, you're going to just have to get used to it." She states jokingly, but with a hint of force nipping at her words. "Trust me, Robbie, I'm not going anywhere, and neither are my parents. Trina? Well she's a different story. It's give her take with her." She jokes.

Her words are comforting and so confident. Leave it to Tori Vega to fix a problem, it's her 'thing'. Just as we were starting to hit the rhythm of our conversation, my bladder reminds me that I got up out of bed and hit the floor for a reason.

"I just remembered, I REALLY have to pee." I state, starting to move my legs in a continuous manner as if running around a room like an idiot is really going to help your bladder calm down. She tries to suppress a giggle, and almost does, but it forces it's way out of her. It's barely audible, but I heard it clear as day.

"You have fun with that. The bathroom's down the hall." She tells me as I get up off the chest we were sitting on. I use all of the force in my body to quickly get to the bathroom, and I make it just in time.

This might be too metaphorical, but relieving myself felt like a lot more than what it usually does. It felt like I was finally getting rid of all of the bad things in my life, and I was replacing them with things that actually made getting up every day worth the hassle. Even with my body busted up as bad is it is, the thought puts a major spring in my step.

As I walk downstairs, I'm greeted by a bowl of cereal sitting on the coffee table in the living room. Tori is already sitting on her bright red couch indulging in her bowl of wheat squares, the television remote in one hand and a spoon in the other. I walk past her and take my intended spot on the couch.

"I made you some breakfast." She tells me, her mouth full of the delicious little frosted wheat squares, her attention paid purely to the flat screen in front of us. She's such a different person here, at home, with nobody around her. She's in her pajamas, her hair is twirled into ponytail that comes off the side of shoulder. She's wearing her glasses and no makeup. It's a welcoming sight. She knows the real Robbie Shapiro, why can't I know the real Tori Vega?

"I see that. Thank you." I say to her while picking up my bowl and begin to take a bite. "You're such a talented chef, milk AND cereal in a bowl? Nobody can stop you!" I tease. She smiles widely and hits me in the stomach. The smile turns to a frown quickly as she realizes what she's done, and she immediately checks to see if she's done any damage, which she hasn't.

It's the maternal instinct in her, the niche that makes Tori whole. It's what I love about her, the fact that no matter what she's doing, she's always worrying about someone or something. Her mind is always racing, trying to come up with ways she can make someone feel better or brighten someone's day.

The rest of our morning was spent watching Saturday morning cartoons. That's right! Two seventeen year old teenagers spent their Saturday morning eating frosted wheat squares and watching cartoons. It was such welcoming event, bringing me back to a time when my dad was the greatest guy ever and my mom didn't touch the bottle.

Tori and I laugh so hard at the events happening on screen, it rocks my body. It's hurting her ribs, so you can probably imagine how I feel. Somehow, though, I'm okay with it. I welcome the pain. It's not pain out of misery or sadness. I'm hurting because I can't stop laughing.

My mind wonders every now and again, about the thought of living here full time, about how they'll react to me, and about how I'll react to them. I think about my friends at school, and about how I'll have to tell them what I went through eventually.

I think about how I don't have Rex anymore, and while it saddens me to a degree, everything is washed away as I sit here on this couch, with a person who actually cares about me. I realize I had Rex because I had nobody else, Mom was a drunk, Dad wasn't there, Grandma never really liked me anyway.

The only thing that tolerated me throughout my life was Rex, and I thought moving on would be a little harder than what it actually is. I guess it's okay, because in essence, I guess I'm trading a crappy life with Rex to a good, stable home life with Tori and the Vegas, and although I loved Rex, that's a trade I'll take any day of the week.

I finally think about how everything's going to be okay, and how my life is never is going to be the same. It's going to be better than I ever imagined. The thoughts of being in a stable living environment overpowering me as a huge grin plants itself on my face.

This is going to be great.

* * *

><p><strong>And BOOM! Chapter 2 is complete! I'm having absolutely so much fun coming up with things for this story. I've got a feeling this story is headed in a great direction. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please review, they make me smile!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Victorious or the likeness rights to Victoria Justice and the rest of the Victorious cast. But, I do bother Dan Schneider for the rights to the show on a weekly basis, so maybe he'll cave eventually! I can only hope, right?**

**Sorry for the long wait everyone, I had the flu :(, but don't fret! I feel better now. I'd like to continue to thank everyone who's been reading this story. I hope you guys like Chapter 3!**

* * *

><p><strong>Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred<strong>

**Chapter 3**

**[Robbie's POV]**

The living room is quiet.

The living room is dark, the only light in the room being illuminated from the television in front of us.

And I'm scared half to death.

Tori and I have done absolutely nothing today, from watching cartoons earlier this morning to watching her vast collection of movies, and let's not forget the most important thing: eating every ounce of food in that she has stored in her house.

Seriously, I don't know how someone could possibly eat as much as Tori Vega does. She's a bottomless pit, it's kind of frightening at times. It's also even more confusing to see that she's skinner than I am, and I'm a scrawny guy.

Right now, though, my eyes are transfixed on the screen before us. Tori thought it would be a great idea to have a movie marathon, and, don't get me wrong, it was a great idea. We've watched many things today ranging from chick flicks to documentaries.

It's been a fun day, that's for sure, and I feel like this was a good bonding experience for the both of us. If I'm going to live here, we might as well be able to get along. I think the fact that I don't have Rex anymore is a big advantage in my corner. He hasn't been able to ruin the day.

Now that the sun has set on Los Angeles, Tori thought it would be a good idea to watch a horror movie in the dark. I didn't want to argue with her, but right now, we're both acting kind of pitifully.

We're currently watching Paranormal Activity 3, and let's face it: I have zero courage in my body. Every five seconds I find myself wanting to jump out of my own skin. I control the urge to do so, because I don't want Tori to think that I'm not a guy, oh wait, never mind...

All of the thoughts that are rushing through my head are ripped from my existence when something horrifically terrifying on the television screen happens. The main character and his friend hear a strange sound coming from a closet. When they drag the closet door open, a screaming woman leaps forth.

All I can really process is the deafening screech that escapes Tori's throat. Before I know what else is happening she's clinging to me for dear life, escaping the movie by burying her face in my chest. I'm freaking out right now too, but unfortunately for me, I don't have anywhere to bury my face.

I definitely welcome this feeling though, the warmth from Tori's body heat emitting from her and seeping into me is infinitely more comforting then any pillow I could bury my face into. This is the closest I've ever been with a girl, not to mention a beautiful girl. I'm at a standstill here, not knowing whether to truly embrace this or not.

I keep expecting her to realize just exactly who she's cuddling with and breakaway from me, but it doesn't happen. She continues to keep her face hidden from the scary movie on the television screen, and although I'm probably more scared than she is, I try my best to comfort her.

So I just sit there, trying with every fiber of my being to keep the both of us from screaming any further.

As time goes on, I feel my eyelids begin to droop and eventually, sleep involuntarily blankets me...

In what feels like only minutes have passed, my eyes flutter open and I'm awoken to the sight of the living room being filled with sunlight. I try to take in my surroundings, looking around the area before I get up, when I'm greeted by some nasty glares.

Mr. And Mrs. Vega are standing in front of the television, which still has the Paranormal Activity 3 menu plastered upon it. Tori's vain older sister Trina is standing right beside them. It seems as if they're trying to achieve physical harm with the stares that seem to be directed towards me.

I want to say something, to greet them from their trip back from Santa Barbara, but when I unlock my jaws to talk, nothing can seem to find it's way out of my mouth. That's when I realize Tori still has me in her death grip from last night, her head still buried in my chest.

I put two and two together and I can tell what's going on. The Vegas probably didn't know that a boy was staying over with their lonely seventeen year old daughter while they were gone.

To make matters even worse, the Vega's don't really care for me to begin with, so I can tell they're even more angry when they see that Tori and I are in a position that's definitely not to their liking.

Finally this awkward silence is broken, by Mr. Vega, an unhappy looking overprotective father, who by coincidence is a cop. I'm more than likely going to be shot.

"Robbie Shapiro, why are in you in my house? Alone. With my daughter?" Mr. Vega walks from the television and closer towards the couch I'm currently residing on. He's an expert interrogator for the Los Angeles Police Department, I'm so screwed.

"Uh, well, you, um, you see.." I trail off. I'm so scared right now that I can't even form a coherent sentence. If I'm going to live here, then we've just gotten off on the best of terms!

I decide now is the perfect time to wake Tori up so she can talk her dad out of killing me. I give her a good shake, she shuffles in her seat, and mumbles something incoherent. I give her another shake, and I can see her eyelids open and give way to those big brown orbs of hers.

It takes her a minute to realize what's going on, but once she does, the expression on her face becomes priceless, and she jumps out of my grasp and off of the couch almost immediately.

"Mom, Dad! You're home!" The screech that comes from her mouth is so high pitched that only a dog could hear exactly what she said. Her parents do not reply, they only continue to stare. Mrs. Vega doesn't look as angry as Mr. Vega does, she has a look of confusion and disappointment on her face.

"Victoria Dawn Vega! What is going on here?" Speaking of Mrs. Vega, I guess it was her turn to question us, and by the sound of her tone, she didn't want us to beat around the bush. She wanted everything short, straight, and to the point.

"Guys," Tori's demeanor has changed from inaudible screeching, it's completely calm, soothing almost. "I promise, this isn't what it looks like." It looks like she's picking up some of her father's interrogation tricks, trying her best to weave out of us a bad situation.

Her parents look at the both of us, look at each other for a few seconds, and then their gazes turn right back on us. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Mrs. Vega opens her mouth and speaks again.

"We just want to know what's going on, why Robbie is here, and why you two were, you know, together the way you were." Her tone is no longer one of disappointment or confusion, it's more calm and reasonable now.

"We can explain that, but we'd like to talk to you guys." Tori puts her hands up and waves them as if she's trying to hold off a riot, her voice still calm and collected. Noticing the elder sibling hasn't moved an inch, she then points her gaze towards Trina and opens her mouth once more. "Alone, please."

Her facial expression and body language make it well known that she doesn't want Trina here, and to be honest, neither do I. It's going to be hard enough to tell my story to Tori's parents, so I'd like to keep it from Trina as long as I can.

Mrs. Vega motions Trina up the stairs, and Trina obliges by huffing and puffing her way there. She's very nosy, always trying to keep herself in the know.

Once Trina whisks herself to her room and we here her bedroom door shut, I know it's time to open up and tell the truth. Tori also knows what time it is and takes the initiative by pointing her parents to the kitchen table, and we all sit down, Mr. and Mrs. Vega sitting directly across from Tori and I.

Time feels like it's slowing and ot seems like we're getting comfortable in this awkward silence we've found ourselves in when Mr. Vega takes it upon himself to break it.

"I just need to know something, so tell me the truth." He lowers his gaze at the two of us, like we're two crooks sitting in an interrogation room. His experience at the police department is shining through like a hot summers day on Venice Beach. "Are you two dating?" The raspy sound suddenly emits from his throat, throwing Tori and I immediately off guard.

The question lingers between the four of us as silence fills the room. Tori and I look at each other with same look of uneasiness, but it's Tori who answers the question, a little faster than what I would've wanted.

"Me? Robbie? God NO!" She jumps and flails her hands a little too enthusiastically, like the two of us dating is something that would defy the laws of physics. For some reason, that hurt a little more than I expected it to. I mean, Tori and I had played a couple on Sinjin's game show, and I didn't get overly offended when she kept saying that we were just friends. She's going through so much for me already, but there was something about her tone that just cut through me like a razor blade.

If I had to guess, though, I'd say she saw the saddened expression on my face, because when she looked at me after the fact, there was guilt and apology plastered upon her features, like she didn't really mean what she said, like she was asking me for forgiveness.

Seeing her facial expressions, I finally find the courage to talk and end this misunderstanding. "I think I can straighten this up." I boldly state. I finally feel as though it's time to tell them my story, to tell them why I'm here, and why I don't want to go home. I look at Tori, who nods and grabs my hand, which gives me strength.

"When I was about ten years old, my father was deployed to Afghanistan." It's hard reliving these memories over a third time, but I decide that I'm only going to have to explain myself more in the future, and I continue.

"My mom had a difficult time coping with the fact that her husband was putting his life at stake, so she turned to alcohol. It was a difficult time for all of us, but it was even worse when my mother would just lay passed out on the floor or on the couch or wherever she landed. Some nights, she wouldn't even come home." The memories come in like someone has opened up a floodgate, and unfortunately, it feels as if I'm drowning in them.

The horror begins to take over and I can feel warm liquid traveling down my face. I assume they're tears. I want to lose control, but I feel Tori's hand snaked across my own, and it keeps me grounded. It let's me know that I'm here and nobody's going to hurt me.

The look on the Vegas' faces have turned from anger and confusion to compassion and sympathy, I try not to pay attention to the expressions on their faces and more on the story that's plagued my life for so many years.

"My dad came home after three long years where sometimes I didn't know if my mom was going to live to see the next day, much less my father." I struggle out. It feels as if my chest is collapsing on itself. I'm trying to figure out why it was so easy to tell my story to the younger Vega, but then I realize that I was under the influence of narcotics. It all makes sense now.

Tori must've seen that I was having major problems because she came to my rescue, again. I feel her squeeze my hand with this unmatchable compassion and she opens her mouth to speak.

"Guys, Robbie's dad hits him, if you can't tell by the bruises and cuts on his face. It's been going on for a long time." Tori lifts the hand that's not interlinked with my own is now patting my back. The revelation brings forth gasps from Tori's parents. Mr. Vega puts his hand over his mouth and Mrs. Vega jumps up and gives me a hug. The hug's not tight enough to hurt me, but it's got that motherly embrace, something that I haven't felt in years.

"He showed up on the patio Friday night after my date. You should've seen him. If you think he looks bad now, you should've seen him on Friday. It broke my heart." Tori continues on. Once Mrs. Vega sits back down in her seat, she just looks at Mr. Vega, like they're speaking some unspoken married couple language.

There is a long silence between the four of us, and eventually, Mr. Vega opens his mouth as though he's ready to speak.

"Robbie, being on the force for so long, you see a lot of this." His voice is no longer of one of intimidation but one of sympathy and compassion. "Is there anyone you can stay with? Is there another family member that can take you in?" His fingers begin to nervously tap the table we're currently sitting at. I wonder if he's trying to avoid the subject of taking me in as one of their own.

I realize that taking me in isn't on the top of their priorities, but I honestly didn't have anywhere else to turn. Grandma, for lack of a better term, hated me. Aunt Lisa doesn't even know I exist, and I don't think I have any other relatives, y'know, outside of my pitiful little parents.

"No sir, I really don't. My grandmother just says the war did a lot to my dad, and that I should be a better son, by trying to help him in his time of need." I try to avoid all eye contact with, well, everybody really. "The only person outside of her is my aunt, but she doesn't even know I exist, not to mention she lives in a completely different state." I begin to feel like there's no hope.

The Vegas wouldn't want me, I'm damaged goods. I come with too much baggage. I'm not even worth their time. Hell, I'm not worth anybody's time, to be honest.

I feel pretty much worthless to the world, if my parents don't even want me, why would someone else's parents want me. I guess it looks as if about I'm about to lose it, because Tori interjects our conversation, being motherly figure that she is.

"Mom, Dad," Her voice is so soothing and coercing, this is pretty much the moment of truth. "I was wondering, you know, if Robbie could live here, with us." The look on Tori's face is the most pleading thing I've ever seen, almost like her life depended on it.

The Vegas' reaction to the request was one that I'd wished had gone a bit more smoothly. They didn't really say anything, but they did have one of their now-famous unspoken married couple conversations.

"I don't know..." The sound coming from Mr. Vega's voice box seems to be comprised of pure apprehension. I know I come off as a weird little nub, so I can kid of understand why he'd be questioning taking me in.

The look on Tori's face widens, as if she didn't expect convincing her parents to let me live here would be as difficult as it had turned out to be. She looks at me and stands up from the kitchen table.

"Please, guys. I'll do anything!" I wonder why she's begging so hard for me. I kind of feel bad that I can't do this on my own, that I always have to have someone put their neck on the line for me.

Mr. and Mrs. Vega look at me with this concrete gaze that I can't seem to shake, it's very uncomfortable. Not feeling comfortable to meet their gaze, I continue looking down at the table top, running my fingers over the smooth wood. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Mr. Vega breaks the silence that had befallen us.

"Robbie, you've been through an awful lot in your life. A lot more than a boy your age should ever go through." The tone in Mr. Vegas voice is softer than it's been all day, giving me a longing hope for what he might say next.

"I know what it's like, being on the force. I see this more often than I ever should, and it kills me every time." The slight glimmer of hope for me being able to live here is becoming larger and larger, like a faint light breaking through a wall.

"Because of that, I know something has to be done. You've been dealt a bad hand, son, and as a police officer and a good father, I think it'll be in all of our best interests if we extend an invitation of residence to you." There it is. Confirmation. All doubt that's clouded my mind is erased and the light that was once faint and indistinguishable is now brighter than everything that's ever been in my life.

I can't suppress the huge grin the takes residence on my face. I get up from my seat to shake Mr. Vega's hand, to show him that he won't regret this. I want to tell him, man to man, thank you. Instead of reciprocating the handshake, he does something that I'll forever cherish.

He pulls me into a large hug and I can feel the fatherly embrace take over me. I'm so shocked by the hug I don't even feel the tears start to roll down my face and by the time the hug is over, I'm openly sobbing. It's at this point Tori pulls me into hug and tells me everything is going to be okay, and she's right.

I live with the Vegas now, and everything is going to be okay.

* * *

><p>T<strong>here is Chapter 3 everybody! I hope you had as much fun reading it as much as I had writing it. It's been a blast to write and I can't wait to get into the meat of the story. Also, I'm starting my first new job in months tomorrow, so updates may get a little more sporadic, but this story is at the top of list.<strong>

**While I have you here, I really want to give some shoutouts, because I love shoutouts.**

**Everybody should go read Jonathan 81's stories. There so good. They have a little bit of everything for everybody, so things never get boring. If you're looking for a great read, go read Bound and Unbound, two of my all-time favorite Fics.**

**Maybewolf also rights some of the most descriptive, chaotic stuff ever. Misery Loves Company is also one of my all time favorite fics, and I'm kind of devastated it's ending soon, and the other stories are just as good.**

**Robbie's Fate by SuperNeos2 is an amazing story. It's Victorious mixed with survival horror, and it's a Rori, you can't go wrong!**

**Seriously if you haven't, head over and tell these guys how good they are, I'll appreciate it, and I'm sure they will too! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Victorious or the likeness rights to Victoria Justice and the rest of the Victorious cast. But, I do bother Dan Schneider for the rights to the show on a weekly basis, so maybe he'll cave eventually! I can only hope, right?**

**Anyway, this story has gotten a heap of reception, and it's blowing me away! I'm having a ton of fun writing this story, when I actually get the free time to write! Thanks again for reading and PLEASE REVIEW! They fuel my soul. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred<strong>

**Chapter 4**

"Robbie Shapiro!"

"Get out of the bathroom, now! I need to shower before school!" I grunt as I beat on the bathroom door with all of my might. It's seven o'clock in the morning and I feel like death. I'm not a morning person nor do I want to be.

It's been two weeks since Robbie moved in with my family, and things have been going anything but smoothly. I love Robbie to death, but he may be the absolute hardest person to live with, ever.

Robbie had some very weird quirks that we all have had to deal with, with his vast male make-up collection, the absolutely disgusting back-zits he had, and his frightening obsession with mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise is in every corner of my house now. I'm all for dipping my French fries in my mayonnaise, but seriously, the boy has a mini-fridge next to his bed, and every square inch of it is filled with Miracle Whip.

Don't get me wrong, I'm so glad my parents have taken Robbie in, and we are learning to love him and treat him like a real member of our family, and I'm even more glad that he's safe and I don't have to worry about him being hit by those horrible parents of his, it's just a little more to get used to than I'd originally intended.

Now, Robbie won't get out of the shower, I'm grumpier than the Grinch on Christmas Eve, and if I'm late for class and get another Saturday Detention with Vice Principal Dickers, I'm going to have Robbie's curly mop of a head.

"ROBERT MATTHEW SHAPIRO! GET OUT OF THE SHOWER!" After a few more minutes of banging on the door, the gank in me takes over and I lose it. If you were on the other side of that door, you'd probably assume that Medusa wanted to get through. As I said before, the mornings aren't my favorite time of day.

I guess my gank mood finally broke through, because Robbie bursts out of the door with a towel around his waste and a towel wrapped around his head. Even in as bad of a mood I am in, I can't help but want to giggle at the sight.

I guess that's one great thing that has come out of Robbie living here. We've gotten pretty close. A lot closer than I ever thought Robbie and I would become. He's a lot more comfortable around me. We spend a lot of time watching movies in my room, doing homework, and coming up with plays and stuff for Hollywood Arts.

In order to keep the facade of me being mad up, I don't waste anytime conversing. I walk straight past him and I slam the door in his face. Everything after is a blur, but I finally come to when I feel the sensation of warm water dousing over my naked body. The feeling is so sensual, warm, and soothing. I feel the gank in me begin to dissipate, and by the end of the shower, the old Tori is completely back.

I don't spend a lot of time doing make-up, because I can't be late for school, so I throw on some simple blush and eyeliner. I also can't spend a lot of time on my hair today either, so I straighten it as fast as I can. I run to my room and put on the first articles of clothing I see, which end up being blue jeans, a red Hollywood Arts shirt, and my black Converse.

By the time I'm completely ready, I see it's 7:28. Somehow I managed to stumble through my morning routine in under 25 minutes and avoided looking like the swamp thing, that's gotta be a talent. I grab my bag and my PearPhone XT and before I know it, Robbie and I are heading to Hollywood Arts High School.

That's also a good thing about Robbie. He has his own car, which means that I don't have to ride with Trina anymore. I swear, if I have to listen to her sing in the car again, I'm going to jump off of the Hollywood Sign.

There's this kind of awkward, tense silence between Robbie and I, and I'll bet anything it has to do with me yelling at him for taking to long in the bathroom. Now that I have a shower under my belt and I have coffee in my system, I'm not under the influence of sleep anymore, and I feel kind of bad for yelling at Robbie earlier this morning. I decide I want to make it right.

"Robbie..." I deicde gradually throw his name out to try and casually break the silence. "I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning. It's just, y'know, I'm nothing without coffee and a shower, and you'd been in there for a lo-"

"Don't worry about it, Tor." Robbie interjects my apology with a less-than-convincing tone.

"No, Robbie. You live here too, and you have as much right to use that bathroom as I do, just, y'know, try to be a little quicker, or let me shower first." My voice trying to assure him that the person who yelled at him this morning is not the same person who is sitting in the car with him right now.

"I don't have a problem with that, Tori, it's just..." Robbie sounds more like himself now. "I mean, you got ready in under 25 minutes, right?" I nod at him which he takes as sign to continue his point. "You look amazing. It took you less than 25 minutes to get ready and you're still beautiful. I'd need 25 hours just to look a fraction as good as you do right now."

He doesn't look away from the road we're currently riding on and he grips the steering wheel with all his might. I can tell because his knuckles are whiter than Ford Fusion we're driving in.

It takes me forever to process the major compliment that was just thrown my way. That may be the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me. I lose my train of thought and for once, I'm rendered speechless. Robbie Shapiro just rendered me speechless.

I open my mouth to say something, but alas, all that happens is my tongue hopelessly flails around in my mouth. After an odd silence that spans a longer time period than what I would've wanted. Robbie looks away from the road and looks at me.

"Uh, Tori? Are you okay? You haven't said anything in a while." The silence that had befallen us is shattered like a glass window getting hit with a baseball bat.

"Yeah, Robbie. It's just..." I'm still trying to figure out how say thank you. That really caught me off guard. "You look great Robbie. You're very handsome. I mean, my dad's clothes look a little big on you, but other than that, you don't look any worse than I do."

It's true, Robbie didn't look bad, he never has. Sure, he was kind of scrawny and weak, but it fit him. The only real problem about his appearance was that he was wearing my father's wardrobe.

"And about my dad's clothes, we're actually going shopping after school, so get excited!" Faux enthusiasm fills my throat and the car, and I was greeted by a giggle escaping my roommate and friend's throat.

My dad went with Robbie to get his things from his old house and after seeing what Robbie went through, my dad would only allow him to get what he really needed to have and they got out of there as fast as possible. He got his car, his expensive electronic equipment, and some personal belongings, and that was it.

My parents are actually in the process of becoming Robbie's legal guardians, they're trying to make it official from a legal standpoint. It's surprisingly easy to do when you've been one of the most reliable cops in Los Angeles for the last twenty years, they tend to trust your word a little bit more than your average bystander.

I'm glad they're taking this as seriously as they are. I was initially afraid they weren't going to be able to deal with his odd living quirks, but they have been nothing but the best to him, which is great. They're actually paying for the shopping trip today and the trip to the Pear Store because Robbie's phone was destroyed, when, y'know, his dad beat him to a pulp a few weeks ago. I love my parents.

I felt all of the tension in the car disappear after we had our talk and the rest of our ride was spent in silence, the music coming from the radio being the only sound filling our ears, which was a welcome thing. I decided to spend the rest of time humming along to 'Freak The Freak Out', one of my favorite songs ever.

Before I knew it, we were in the parking lot of my home away from home, Hollywood Arts. Robbie and I got out of car and walked past the Asphalt Cafe into the main hallway. We separated for short time and went to our respective lockers, where I was greeted by my friend and secret crush, Beck Oliver.

"Hey Beck!" I try to keep the excitement out of my voice but fail miserably, sounding more like a crazed teenage girl than a friend.

"Hey Tor. Where's Robbie?" The sound coming from Beck is the one you'd expect, calm, collected, soothing, with a slight smile appearing on his face. I kept my feelings for him well under control when he was with Jade, but now that he's free, I find it hard to keep anything under control. I won't make the first move though, it'd be too weird, and Jade might kill me.

"Just getting his books for Sikowitz..." The excitement in my voice fades away at the sight of Beck's ex-girlfriend and my arch-nemesis, Jade West. She comes out of nowhere and begins to impede on the nice casual conversation that Beck and I were having.

"So, how's puppet boy adjusting to life with you, Vega?" Jade blurts out. It catches me off guard, and I have to take a few seconds to process just how blunt the question was. A few days after the decision was made, Robbie and I sat Andre, Cat, Beck, and Jade down and told them what happened and what was going on. We owed them that much, they're our friends.

Everybody understood and stood behind Robbie and I with full support, well, everybody except for Jade. She was just Jade. I guess she figured since she was having parental troubles too, she didn't have to give anybody her sympathy. It was so maddening sometimes.

"'Robbie' is doing just fine living with me. We're actually going shopping for clothes and we have to stop by the Pear Store after school." I state, the annoyance in my voice building by the second at the sight of Jade.

"Wait, so Robbie is going to let you, a girl, pick out a wardrobe for him?" Beck asks, the grin on his face growing larger and larger. I can tell he's suppressing a laugh as well.

"What? I have great style, Robbie's going to look great after I'm done with him." I state very as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Oh, yes, Robbie's gonna look so adorable after I get done picking out his clothes!" The sound coming from Jade's throat was very southern-belle like. I can tell she's making fun of the way I talk. Or, the way she thinks I talk. I don't sound like that!

"I don't talk like that!" I shout, my voice reaching maximum annoyatude.

The rest is history, turning into another meaningless argument between Jade and I. I wish I could see into that girl's head sometimes, so I can really see why she dislikes me as much as she actually does.

"Ladies, that's enough!" Beck breaks our argument up and we both obey his command. We stop screaming at each other, and he opens his mouth and gives a solution.

"Tori, I'm gonna help you out. How about I come with you two, and Robbie can get a male's opinion on what he's wearing." Beck suggests. I'm not gonna lie, my heart swelled a little. Me and Beck? Hanging out after school? This is just what I need to see if he really likes me.

"That's great Beck!" The excitement in voice returns at the thought of how the afternoon can go. "I'll see you after school, then?" I ask, hoping we just made our plans official.

"Yeah. After school. Meet me in Asphalt Cafe, we can take my car." Beck walks away from me and to the direction of Sikowitz's classroom. Everything seems to be moving into place quite fast, when suddenly, everything comes crashing down on top of me.

"Y'know, I think I need a new pair of industrial scissors, I think I'll tag along as well." Jade states confidently, before heading in the direction that Beck was heading in.

This is going to be the worst shopping trip ever.

* * *

><p><strong>And there's Chapter Four everybody! I really hope you guys are digging this story, because I sure am loving it. 21 Reviews in Three Chapters? I didn't think it was possible. <strong>

**Anyway, I've just started a new job, and my hours are pretty insane right now, so updates will come across maybe once every 2-3 weeks now, but I am trying! Just bear with me, because things hopefully will get a little easier.**

**And again, if you read the story, please send me a review, they make me feel happy! Even if it's just a 'Good chapter' type of deal, still send it, it'd make my day!**

**Thanks, and I'll see you all in Chapter Five!**


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Victorious or the likeness rights to Victoria Justice and the rest of the Victorious cast. But, I do bother Dan Schneider for the rights to the show on a weekly basis, so maybe he'll cave eventually! I can only hope, right?**

**I'm back! After some four m****onths of absence, I'm back with a real update. To everyone who has been waiting, I do apologize. I've had some things going on which was the major issue. I have a job, which has been some tough work, on top of that, I've been working with some of my best friends on a business venture, which is going quite well.**

**My point is, if I'm not at work, I'm with my friends working on developing this mobile phone app, so needless to say, I'm not home nearly as much as I used to be, which means I'm away from my MacBook, and I don't know if you guys have tried reading, reviewing, and sending PM's on a mobile phone, but it is a hassle, and I'd rather use my MacBook for everything.**

**Anyways, enough with this HELLA-LONG intro, let's get to the story!**

* * *

><p><strong>Broken, Beat &amp; Scarred<strong>

**Chapter 5**

The school day drug on, but at the same time time, couldn't end fast enough. That was because of the differing views from both Robbie and Tori. Tori on one hand, dreaded the sound of the final bell, because she knew that the shopping trip she was going on would include an unwelcome visitor in Jade West. In Robbie's defense, he was just ready to go out with his friends.

Robbie had perspective on today. At first glance all this was just a shopping trip with a few friends, yes, that even included Jade. In reality, however, it was like he was getting a fresh start in his life. A start he deserved to have. and it was because of Tori Vega that he even had the opportunity to show people the real Robbie Shapiro.

The only thing standing in the way of him fulfilling his quest was the bell that had yet to fill the school halls with it's ear-piercing ring, signaling the end of the current school day.

"_2:57_" Robbie thought to himself. "_Only three more minutes._"

The lapse in time had taken a standstill. Robbie had never wanted to get out of class faster than he did now. His attention span was virtually non existent. The lecture coming from his Trigonometry teacher was more or less like the Charlie Brown cartoons.

As Robbie tried his hardest not to lose his mind from boredom he was saved by the bell - literally. It was Friday, the weekend had just begun, and it was going to start off with a bang. He uprooted himself from the desk that had for so long kept him prisoner and exited the room faster than he ever imagined he would.

He was so immersed in his own mind he didn't even hear his roommate call his name.

"Hey Roberto! I bet you're ready for today!" Tori exclaimed with feign-excitement hidden in her voice. She was happy for Robbie, she really was, but she just couldn't stand the fact that Jade had to interfere with her plans and ruin everything. She had a thing for Beck, she's always had a thing for Beck, but she would never act upon it, because Beck and Jade were and, to pretty much everybody's knowledge, in it for the long run. She wasn't raised that way, it wasn't in her blood.

Now Beck was single though, Tori wondered if it was an opportunity. She and Beck had always had some chemistry together and now seemed like it might be the right time to explore it. When Beck invited himself along on the shopping trip this morning, she saw it a perfect way to get closer to Beck, but Jade saw right through her. If Jade couldn't have Beck anymore, there was no way in hell Tori would ever have that chance either.

Tori was puzzled when Robbie didn't respond to her playful remark, he continued walking to what seemed like his locker.

"Hey, Robbie?" Tori ran to catch up to her friend and tapped him on the shoulder. He responded by jumping about three feet up into the air. He obviously wasn't paying attention and in return, Tori scared him half to death.

"Oh, hey Tor." Robbie replied in a mixture of relief and panting. "I didn't see you there."

Tori smiled in amusement. "Obviously not!" The playful smile then turned into a look of concern. "What's up with you? You've been in your own little world all day. You haven't even answered my question."

Robbie shook his head and smiled. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just really excited. I could barely get myself through the day"

Tori looked a bit puzzled, and raised her eyebrows. Robbie smiled and continued.

"I see this as more than just a shopping trip, Tori. I see it as a sign. A sign that my old life is coming to an end. Everything that would remind of them, gone. Clothing, personal belongings, anything that reminded me of that place in my life is gone. Because of you and your family, I can finally go to sleep at night knowing, when I wake up, I won't have to fear for my well-being. I know that there's a family that cares about me, and wants me around. It may sound stupid, but that's why I'm so excited. Because today marks a new chapter of my life."

"Well, Robbie, let's go meet Beck and start this new chapter - the right way." Tori grabbed Robbie by his wrist and dragged him out of Hollywood Arts, and past the Asphalt Cafe.

The duo was greeted by none other than Beck Oliver, who was standing by his car. Beck waved to the duo, they responded by happily waving back.

"Hey Tori, Rob!" Beck exclaimed. He turned to Robbie, "I bet your ready for some normalcy after these past few weeks, eh bud?" Back asked to his damaged friend. It's true, Robbie was damaged, more than damaged, and Beck and the rest of the guys had never really noticed. That's what Beck regretted the most.

If he could go back, he'd pick up the little signs, the cries of help, the he and his other friends casually looked past. Thinking now, he, Tori, and the rest of the gang didn't really treat him the way he deserved to be treated, they didn't act like real friends.

Robbie smiled at Beck. "That's a bit of an understatement."

"Well, all we have to do is wait for Jade and we'll be ready to go." The nod from Robbie is expected, what Beck doesn't expect is the death stare from Tori. She really doesn't want Jade to come along.

"Can't we just leave her here? We haven't said exactly where were going, we can hide from her if we have to!" The look on Tori's face changes from the death stare to that of puppy dog eyes. The tone in her voice more pleading than anything else.

"Tori, you know, if anything, that will make Jade even more angry than she normally is." Beck then looks around and edges closer to Tori. "Frankly, now that we're not dating, she kind of scares me." He whispers to her in fear that Jade will actually hear his revelation.

Speaking of the devil herself, Jade West appears from the confines of Hollywood Arts.

"Hey Vega, Oliver." Jade said with a mischievous smile plastered upon her face. She then turned to Robbie and the look in her eye changed to a demeaning one. "Hey Puppet Boy. Oh, I guess I can't call you that anymore, can I?"

Tori could tell by the look on Robbie's face that that one stung. She'd had enough of Jade and her games. It was one thing to insult Tori, Beck, Cat, or even Andre. But Robbie? Here? Now? Out of all the times she could insult him she had to pick the time when Robbie was most vulnerable. Not on her watch. It wasn't going to happen.

"Listen, you sad little grunch! His name isn't Puppet Boy, it's not Afro, it's not any of those ridiculous nicknames! His name is Robbie Shapiro. Robert. Shapiro. Can you remember that? Do you need me to write it down?"

Tori had never stood up to Jade in this manner. Of course, she's never taken any of Jade's crap, but this was on a whole other level. Even Jade had a hint of shock in eye. She also had a hint of something else. Pure anger. Tori could see it. Beck could see it too. Robbie was still trying to process what had just happened through his brain.

Beck could foresee something bad happening. It almost became a reality.

Jade slowly walked up to Tori, and everybody could see the tension in their eyes. Beck could see the electricity coming from the girls' stand off. He had to do something quick, he had to stop those two.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Beck intervened and interjected himself between the two girls. The tension was broken and the two girls walked to their respective corners.

"Stop acting like this! This is supposed to Robbie's day. Jade, if you have a problem with that, then I suggest you don't come. Robbie needs us, and fighting like this isn't going to help any matters of any sort." Beck lectured to the two teenage girls. Tori knew he was right, but it wasn't herself that she was worried about. Why did Jade feel the need to say all of these things? It did nothing but make everyone around her feel bad.

Maybe that's what she was gunning for, maybe she was miserable so everyone else being miserable was exactly what she wanted. After all, the old expression is Misery Loves Company.

"Get in the car, both of you. Jade, you sit in the front seat with me. Tori, you and Robbie can sit in the back." Beck ordered, trying anything to get some normalcy restored to the air. Both girls obeyed the request and within a minute, everyone was in the car ready to go.

Beck cranked his car and put the car in drive.

"_This is going to be a fun day._" Beck thought to himself as he pressed down on the accelerator and began driving towards town.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 is officially done! I know it was shorter than usual, but hey, it's an update, right? Anyway, If you haven't noticed, I'm transitioning from my former 1st Person POV to the 3rd Person POV as a way to simplify my writing style. I've already seen the added benefits of doing so in terms of creative development and I think it'll be easier to update this way!<strong>

**For the time being, I'm sticking to a firm 10-14 day updating schedule. That will give me adequate time to write my story, get it out to everyone, and still be able to put 100% effort into my daily schedule. **

**Thanks for the continued support and I'll see you guys in Chapter 6!**

**(PS, shoot me a review, they're like my crack!)**


End file.
